Christmas season

...by Eric Dowdle:

Svíčička

Aspoň jedinkrát do roka nebudiž opomenuto zapálit v novinách sloupeček milému Pánubohu. A tedy sláva na výsostech Bohu. Ačkoli je všude, je na výsostech přece jen víc sám a víc doma. Přesvědčte se o tom: vystupte někdy na výsosti, a potkáte ho. Na výsostech krásy, na výsostech lásky, na výsostech poznání a já nevím na kterých výsostech ještě. A když na ne vystoupíte, pocítíte rozkoš a hrůzu, nevýslovnou radost a strašné mrazení, a to je on sám. Ale kdo nikdy nevystoupil na výsosti, nepotkal ho a nic neví o něm ani o jeho slávě. Neboť není pravé slávy kromě slávy Boží. On sám pak voní mateřídouškou a ve vlasech má hvězdy, ptáky na ramenou, na klíne cvrčka a pod jeho nohama plynou řeky a potůčky. Sláva na výsostech Bohu. A na zemi pokoj lidem dobré vůle.

Není nic sladšího než pokoj; a proto dejte nám pokoj, vy všichni, kteří si myslíte, že jste vyvoleni spravovati a napravovati svět. Pokoj lidem na zemi; sláva patří Pánubohu a pokoj člověku; úžas a trnutí je na výsostech, ale na zemi budiž pokoj. Bud pokojné srdce člověka, který obrací svou tvář k zemi; a má-li nás co děsit, jsou to strašné výsosti se svou slávou. Ať nás zasáhne bič nekonečnosti a Boží bázně; ať hyneme úzkostí a rozkoší, potkávajíce Pána na výsostech, ale zemi a lidem budiž pokoj. Pokoj, toť velikost malých věcí a hlubokost věcí všedních; pokojná věc je posvěcená, a pokojný člověk je dobrý, a pokojné srdce je šťastné a pokojný den je požehnaný, amen. Sláva na výsostech Bohu. A pokoj lidem dobré vůle.

Snad jsou vetší a onačejší ctnosti než dobrá vůle. Dobrá vůle, to je jako dobrá cesta nebo dobrá střecha nebo jiné tiché, dobré a spolehlivé věci, o kterých ani nevíme; teprve když nejsou dobré, začneme strašně láteřit, a když potkáme zlou vůli, je nám, jako by se bortila všechna jistota na světe. A proto je dobrá vůle to nejlepší na světe, že na ní stojí všechna spolehlivost a důvěra. Dobrá vůle je horizontální základ všeho dobrého na světe. Sláva na výsostech Bohu. A na zemi pokoj. Na celé zemi.

Já to cítím, vy to cítíte: nemáme pod sebou pevné půdy, když se to hroutí někde u souseda. Je jen jedna země; jenže lidstvo se musilo napolo pomlátit, aby si to začalo jakžtakž uvědomovat. Není dobře na zemi, a proto není ani nám dobře na zemi. I nasloucháme do dálky, není-li slyšet děsné praštění země. Ne, dosud ne: sláva na výsostech Bohu… A na zemi pokoj lidem dobré vůle.

Je to ta nejkratší modlitbička; kdybyste ji tisíckrát opakovali, jako byste měli v sobě tibetský mlýnek na modlení, po každé v ní najdete novou a libou chuť. Neboť je v ní sláva i výsosti, země i pokoj i dobré vůle; samé dobré i veliké; svaté i něžné věci. Já bídný hříšník ji opakuji nepočítaje řádků; a již nevím, myslím-li více na toho, jemuž jsem chtěl zapálit svíčičku, nebo na lidi dobré vůle nebo na zemi žíznivou pokoje, nebo na pokoj své duše; slyším jen dvouzvukou harmonii, hlas andělský a důvěrný.

Karel Čapek - Kalendář

Related links:
Praha ve sněhu
Rampouchy
Za městem
Podjaří

Merry Christmas!

Prajem všetkým nádherné, požehnané sviatky plné Svetla a pokoja. Wishing everyone wonderful blessed Christmas full of Light and Peace. Thinking of all of you...

A Christmas Carol

The most beautiful and faithful adaptation of Dickens classic. (Despite the trailer making it an animated action feature.) A holiday must see



And a clip from the movie as a bonus :-)

Christmas and winter...

...by Robin Moline
(Christmas is coming but winter is very hesitant!)

Related link:
Christmas...

The Tale of the Three Brothers

There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.
And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever anough to evade him.
So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a  wand more powerful than any in existence; a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.
Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.
And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts.
In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.
The first brother travelled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, he sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.
That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.
And so Death took the first brother for his own.
Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared at once before him.
Yet she was silent and cold, separated from him as though by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her.
And so Death took the second brother for his own.
But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.

J. K. Rowling - The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Related link:
Benefits of failure and the importance of imagination